We characterize the basal mass balance of the Ekstr ¨om Ice Shelf, Dronning Maud Land,
Antarctica, using interferometrically derived surface velocities and ice thickness measurements from
radio-echo sounding (RES). The surface velocities are based on data from European Remote-sensing
Satellites-1 and -2 (ERS-1/2) during 1994–97. The ice thickness grid consists of 136 RES profiles acquired
between 1996 and 2006. Mass fluxes are calculated along selected RES profiles where possible, to reduce
uncertainties from ice thickness interpolation. Elsewhere large-scale mass fluxes are calculated using
interpolated ice thickness data. Themass flux into the Ekstr ¨om Ice Shelf from themain grounded drainage
basins is estimated to be 3.19±0.4Gt a−1. The mass flux near the ice shelf front is 2.67±0.3Gt a−1.
Assuming steady state, and based on the equation of continuity, we interpret the residual mass flux as a
combined effect of snow accumulation and subglacial melting/refreezing. Using net snow accumulation
rates from previous studies, we link the mass flux divergence in irregular-shaped polygons to processes
beneath the ice shelf. The highest subglacial melt rates of ∼1.1ma−1 are found near the grounding zone
of two main inflow glaciers, and around the German station Neumayer III. The detection of unlikely
refreezing in a small area ∼15 km west of Neumayer III is attributed to both dataset inaccuracies and
a (possibly past) violation of the steady-state assumption. In general, the method and input data allow
mapping of the spatial distribution of basal melting and the results are in good agreement with several
previous studies.